Q.W.A.K.

​Beyond the last post I had done some basic testing with RC only and even with my very old Futaba transmitter I was able to get the little guy to walk. I'd also be started work on the eventual AVR based control system. Code is available on GitHub ( https://github.com/morganrallen/Qwak ) although there isn't much to it beyond some basic read RC output PWM. Next steps will be to make a larger mounting plate, create a smaller power system (Polou switching power supply and small LiPo) and get back to coding. Then weaponize of course.

My local 'open friendly hacker space' wanted to charge me an exorbitant ​amount of money to show I knew how to use a mill already, so instead I bought a mini-mill of amazing for around $300.

First Blood

QWAK was built in a dirty garage, fathered by an ill tempered Chinese mill and came out dowsed in blood. MY BLOOD. Main mounting plate. Servo bodies attach here. It came out too small but this is the material I had at the time. I'll probably make a new plate in the near future.

These are the main leg assemblies. Most the the Aluminium I used was from weather stripping. So it was actually pretty easy to take the L-shaped window seams and use them for joints. Its difficult to tell in these pictures but the leg end pieces was simply ripped into an (long) L-shape and attached to the servo.

This is the complete assembly and basically how it exists at the moment.

While I was waiting on my mini-mill to arrive I decided to do some concept design in (then Google) Sketchup. I was constrained by only having 8 servos on hand and unwilling to buy more with a move in the near future.

​

Overall design concept.

Originally I'd planned on using two pieces to create an X for mounting but I found it to be less stable and required more machining than I'd had patience for.

This details the center plate design I wanted. The hexagon provides more mounting space than the square but I didn't have any starting pieces large enough to create the desired piece.